The continuous casting method of producing steel product, as well as the basic machinery necessary for the employment of such method, have been well known in the steel industry for some time. This is not to suggest that continuous casting machines are simple in either their substance or operation. In fact, continuous casters are multi-element machines which must be precisely "tuned" for their proper operation.
In order to provide for both efficient operation of the caster, as well as good product formation, it is necessary to align the components of the continuous caster to within relatively strict limits. The alignment methods which have been employed in the past have, in part, employed the use of plumb-bobs and straight edges from points proximate the mold to the curved rack portion of the caster. It should be obvious that the employment of such methods and measuring apparatus are both cumbersome and dangerous as well as time consuming. The amount of downtime for the casting equipment during its alignment within the continuous casting machine itself is far in excess of what it optimally should be. This is especially important when considered in light of both labor as well as equipment costs.
The casting requirements dictated by the number of tons of steel which must be cast, as well as the expense of downtime, necessitate the quick alignment of the elements of the continuous caster. Among these various elements are included the discharge racks employed to contain the semi-molten product as it is passed from the discharge end of the mold to the curved rack rollers of the continuous casting machine. It would be highly desirable, as well as efficient, to provide for the alignment of the discharge racks outside of the continuous casting machine such that a quick substitution of specific elements may be made for those elements within the caster which have broken down or become misaligned. Additionally, there is the need for a more efficient and accurate method and apparatus for achieving alignment of the discharge rack units themselves, without resort to straight edges, plumb-bobs and the like.